Millennials have long shunned the Upper West Side because it’s both un-hip and too expensive. But that may be changing, according to a new report on RentCafe, which tracked population patterns for five years. The zip code in question is 10069, which is not really a core Upper West Side zip code. It mostly covers the Trump (many of them formerly Trump) buildings from 59th Street to 72nd Street.

“The fifth highest spike in millennials took place in zip code 10069 in Lincoln Square, Manhattan, with an increase of 48%,” the Rentcafe report says.

Have you seen millennials walking around? Be friendly, they don’t bite. Unless you’re a piece of avocado toast.

From the early-1990s to mid-aughts, the gentrifying area from around 72nd-96th Streets went through a hip period. It was a great time to live and play here – fun restaurants, lounges, clubs, etc., plus we still had plenty of bookstores and coffee shops from the “old” neighborhood. Once downtown and Brooklyn became desirable, we sadly stagnated then went backwards.

With these new developments hopefully we will see the UWS on the upswing again. We could use the energy!

As usual Dannyboy, you are wrong. The government DOES pay for your taxpayer subsidized apartment. Rent stabilized apartments reduce the value of commercial/residential buildings and thus lower the property taxes that the city collects from their owners. The shortfall has to be made up by all of us taxpayers.

As a millenial who grew up on the UWS and still lives here, I find this rhetoric unbecoming and childish. Plus, if we’re going to point fingers at large swatches of the population, let’s point it at Baby Boomers whose generational selfishness has ruined the United States.

I expect better from what is purported to be a website of news, not mindless banter.

The baby boomers came to the uws because it was an affordable area. The schools were mostly lackluster and Riverside Park was dangerous. If we hadn’t worked hard to correct this. The Millenials would not be enjoying the fruits of our labor, Please don’t foster this generational divide- you will be older soon and the next gen will say the same things about you.

Holy moly.Let’s not give in to one person’s hissy fit. The rhetoric in our society is now so full of vitriol that we can’t even have a difference of opinion any more. We were all young once. Some of us had help & some didn’t.
I may have been the last of the boomer generation but I was the beginning of the women’s empowerment generation. And proud of it. I came to NYC right out of college. Moved to the Upper West Side because it was artsy, vibrant and I could pay the rent. I lived in a newly minted Mitchell-Lama bldg & loved that I could afford the rent near Central Park West & 91st St. When I did better, I moved out to a new West Side neighborhood.
One generation isn’t any better than another. I can’t think of a reason to belittle anyone. My kids are millenials and I love them. Bright & hard working and they’ve traveled and worked all over the world. I welcome them to our neighborhood whether they live 1 or 2 to a room or doing it on their own. We could use a fresh point of view here. I love our old vibe buildings but we need some fresh air up here.It’s starting to look and feel like the 1970’s again.

Like all generalizations, that one is as invidious as the one to which you object. No “generation” has ruined anything, and no generation is selfish. Individuals are, or are not, and many, many Baby Boomers have striven to improve your world for more years than you’ve been on Earth. I welcome the millennial presence in the neighborhood, though I guess some won’t for a variety of reasons, one of which could be your prejudices.

Every generation thinks the next one is shallow and feckless, and the prior one is stodgy and selfish. Don’t take these things so seriously. As you get older, you may understand the reaction more – or not. But don’t get worked up about it. There are good things about the millennials and bad ones – just as much of what you say about the boomers is true, but incomplete.

It seems odd that the author would begin tis post’s title with “Uh-Oh”.

Those born in the “millenial” years of the 80s, 90s, and early 00s are just as valid to be UWS residents as people from any other generation. I know that the spirit of the UWS is far more welcoming and inclusive than this author portrays.

I was in my apartment in a Trump Place building (rental) reading with my TV sound off when I happened to look up at the screen and saw a live shot (I believe) of a crane taking the Trump name off the facade of my building.

The age range of millennials goes from about 22-37 and the report doesn’t dive into the details of where the new residents fall. As a resident of that area on the UWS I would guess its the older millennial as there are many new young families in the neighborhood.

The Upper West Side, and especially the Lincoln Square area can only benefit from an influx of millennials. It’s a wonderful place to live but a new dose of energy, some more interesting stores and restaurants, and just the vigor of young people walking the streets will greatly improve the neighborhood. I hope more of them move in.

Have to admit that the negative way this article is written really turns me off. I’m 36, so technically on the edge of being a millennial, so perhaps that’s what triggering me. But then I also think about how many storefronts are for rent and how many new restaurants come and go on the UWS. Our neighborhood needs some excitement and some energy! I think “young blood” can certainly do this.

The “uh-oh” in the title of this article + the caption on the black and white picture (“Clean up your act, millennial!”) signals to me that according to WSR, certain people aren’t welcome to live in this neighborhood. I want to explicitly state that as someone who has been living on the UWS for 10 years, that’s certainly not the way I’d like to be represented by WSR. And I have a funny feeling that many of my fellow readers feel the same way.

I’ve been reading WSR for many years and absolutely love it. But this article was not ok and I had to say something. In these times of fear, bigotry, and “us vs. them” in our country, I’m shocked that WSR chose to contribute instead of saying “Oh wow–isn’t this an interesting set of data. I wonder why…” Curiosity over judgement, WSR.

And I’m not staying anonymous about this feedback–if you know who I am (because I talk to everyone while I’m walking my dog!), and disagree with me, then please say so. I’m open to feedback.

I’m a longtime UWS resident, and I am also smack-dab in the middle of the millennial generation. I didn’t take offense to the article; I merely read it as a tongue-in-cheek play on the rampant, self-evidently false stereotypes of my generation. I respect and understand that some felt upset by this piece, but I don’t think it was meant to be taken literally — the “uh oh” in the title being their first indicator of that. As a side note, I’d like to also say how very much I love being un-hip, and am grateful to live here in this cranky, smart, oddball little slice of NYC.

Thank you for the honest response, West Sider. Considering the numerous comments similar to mine, I suggest an addendum/update to this article explicitly stating your mistake and/or an edit to the article’s title.

I think that lots of you classic crazy/boring/normal old school, liberal democrat voting,rent stabilized apartment living, cranky UWS folks should be glad that exciting young wealthy folks are moving in. Perhaps some new restaurants with good food might open up in the neighborhood. Also, you’ll see less ambulances parked and waiting on West 85th Street to pick up bodies. These youngsters might even support new politicians who would challenge all the incumbents like Jerry Nadler in future elections. Soon, hopefully, you may even see young folks voting at your local polling place on the UWS. Hey, you never know. You might even see some of those youngsters walking their dogs at 11PM on a weeknight.

Breaking news: Every generation dies out and is replaced by another. This applies to neighborhood demographics too. The overlap is inevitable and has always existed. Try not to be so bitter about your aging and be more excited and welcoming to the younger generation. You both could learn a great deal from each other.